By
Sagiru Ado Abubakar

In Azare Bauchi state training centre, the women-focused incubators training entitled Digital
Creativity and Innovation for Young Women (DICI-YOW) that has been conducted by the Centre
for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) with support from Lenovo Foundation
has yesterday entered into third phase. The phase termed business ideation and aimed to
introduce the participants to the business environment, capital requirements, capital mobilizing
strategies, conceptualize the value chain of the business, understand the market and client
base building, digital marketing, labour and skills needed for the business and business
sustainability issues. The participants have since been trained in basic digital literacy that
consisted of Introduction to Windows, Microsoft word, Excel, PowerPoint and internet
application. Also, they undergone training on courses such as graphics design, mobile app
development, website design and some mobile and computer software (Mobile tools).
Due to the skills acquired, most of the trainees are eager to secure jobs or mobilize capitals and
start ICTs related businesses. To help the trainees achieve their dreams, yesterday at the Azare,
Bauchi state training centre, the trainees were trained on how to secure jobs or source
entrepreneurship and business support. The training let the participants to understand that
there are jobs available in Nigeria but most of the jobs come with certain set of requirements.
Soft skills such as the digital skills provided by Lenovo training are basic requirements that an
employer expects someone to have in order to be successful in a job position.
The training has yesterday demonstrated websites that the participants can visit such as
jobberman.com, ziprecruiter, teachaway, careerjet, indeed, linked in, glassdoor to secure jobs,
soft loans and grants from government initiatives like Bank of Industries (BOI), Bank of

Agriculture (BOA) and foundations so that they can be self-reliant and even employ others as an
entrepreneur cannot work alone.
Other opportunities shared to the participants included Women Startup Challenge, Tech
Startup Grant, 2023 ‘Open Minds – Young Voices’ Youth Activists Program, the 3rd Cohort for
iHatch free intensive incubation program and the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).
In order to make things easier, the participants were urged to be on CITAD facebook pages i.e
friends of CITAD, peace Now, CITAD Alumni etc where such information has been shared
regularly by Job Placement Information Services (JOPIS) scheme of CITAD assisting youth
looking for employment and entrepreneurship opportunities by bringing information about job
opportunities to them. JOPIS Unit are getting job opportunities on newspapers from Libraries,
collaborating with reliable sites advertising job opportunities and creating library and reference
on the job opportunities so that people can benefit from.